Child&#39;s play-table



E. G. THOMAS.

CHILD'S PLAY TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1917.

Patented May 10, 1921.

INVENTOR l h'l hll l'i FFlQE.

EDWARD G. THOMAS, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

cnrnns PLAY-TABLE.

inst see.

Application filed March 31, 1917. Serial No. 159,004.

To (1H 10 from it may concern lie it known that LEDWARD G. THOMAS, of Springfield, county of Sangamon, State of Illinois, have invented and produced certain new and useful Improvements in a Childs Play-Table, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the alcompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

Specification.

My invention consists of a removable apron for a babys chair or buggy which will serve for a play table of area sufficient to prevent the dropping of toys or food upon the floor. At a certain a e the tendency of a child to drop its toys to the floor becomes annoying since the constant presence of an attendant is necessary to keep the child supplied with something to divert its attention. My play-table provides a means for retaining the toys within the childs reach and can be readily removed and folded up into a. small space.

The invention is illustrated by the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification. Figure 1 is a view in isometric perspective of the device attached to an ordinary childs high chair. Figs. 2, S, 1 and 6 show modifications of certain parts and Fig. illustrates details of construction.

The device consists, in Fig. v1, of four arms 1, 2, 3, and l removably supported in brackets 5 fastened to the seat 2% of a chair 7. An apron 8 of fabric, leather or other flexible material is supported by thearms 1, 2, 2-3 and 4* so as to cover the included space, an opening 9 being cut out to permit the apron to extend more or less around the childs body. A belt 10 is sewn to the edge of the apron around opening 9 and is provided with straps '11 and 12 to be tied around the childs body and straps 13 and 14: by which it may be secured to the chair, thus forming a safety belt.

inpron 8 may be secured to arms 1, 2, 3 and 4:, by inserting the ends of the arms into pockets 15 at its corners as is shown in Fi 3, which represents the apron turned over and showing its lower side. A preferable construction is shown in Fig. 1, where spreader rods 16, 17 and 18, to which the apron 8 is secured, extend between the ends of arms 1, 2, 3 and 4, and are supported thereby in a manner to permit ready attachment and removal. A convenient construction will be to provide holes in the spreaders at suitable points through which the ends of arms 1, 2, 3 and a may pass as is illustratec in Fig. 5, where a collar'19 on the arm furnishes a surface on which the spreader may rest.

The height of the spreader bars will preferably be slightly greater than the childs waist and the apron will then sag somewhat toward the child, causing objects dropped upon it to tend to roll toward the child, and thus remain within easy reach.

In order to insure the appropriate location of the removable arms, they may be secured in the brackets by set screws 20 as is shown in Fig. 1, or they may be of rectangular section and fit into holes 23 of similar contour in the brackets, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

The spreader bars 16, 17 and 18 are pivotally joined by bolts 21 and 22 and when removed from the supportingarms may be folded together and rolled in the apron so as to occupy very little space when not in use.

Other constructions are shown in Fig. 6, where the spreaderrods are joined when in use by placing both of the rods which come together, over the upturned end of a supporting arm, and in Fig. 4, where the arm 2 and the spreader rods 17 and 18 are formed with eyes 25, 26 and 27 which engage one another, whereby the entire support of the apron 8 is oined into a unit structure which will fold into a small space.

The flexible surface afforded by the cloth is especially desirable in avoiding the destruction of toys by the pounding of the child and in fitting the childs body so as to prevent anything from being dropped between the apron and the hild,

This play-table may be modified in many structural respectswithout thereby departing from my invention. As such modifications will readily occur to those skilled in mechanic arts 1 have not deemed it necessary to illustrate them here.

Claims.

1. In a childs play-table, the combination of means for supporting a child in a sitting position, brackets secured to the seat thereof, a pair of upwardly and divergently extending arms removably supported by said brackets on each side of said seat, and

a flexible apron supported by said arms above the level of said seat.

2. In a childs play-table the combination of a means for supporting the child in a sitting position, brackets secured thereto at the level of the seat thereof, upwardly-extending arms supported thereby, a flexible apron attached to said arms, and means for fastening said apron to the body of the child and to its means of support.

3. In a childs play-table the combination of means for supporting a child in a sitting position, brackets attached thereto, arms supported by said brackets, means for securing said arms in definite angular locations relative to said brackets and a flexible apron supported'by said arms.

4:. In a childs play-table the combination of means for supporting a child in a sitting position, brackets secured thereto at the level of the seat thereof, a flexible apron adapted to be attached to the child and a foldable unit structure for supporting the outer edge of the apron and adapted to ensaid brackets. V

5. In a childs play table the combination of a means for supporting a child in a sit ting position, brackets secured thereto at the level ofthe seat thereof, upwardly-extendingsupports removably attached thereto and extending outwardly therefrom, a U-shaped frame consisting of members foldably oined together and a flexible apron stretched be tween the members of said frame.

6. In a childs play table the combination of a means for supporting a child, a frame constituting three sides of a rectangle and consisting of members foldably joined at the corners of the rectangle, braces extending upwardly and outwardly from said'means and foldably united to the members of said frame at the corners thereof and a flexible apron supported by said frame.

7. In a childs play table the combination of means for supporting a child in a sitting position, brackets. attached thereto, sockets insaid brackets, arms adapted to fit in said sockets and to be upheld thereby, and a flexible apron supported by said arms.

8. In a childs play table the combination of means for supporting a child in a sitting position, brackets attached thereto, sockets in said brackets arms adapted to fit in said sockets and be upheld thereby, means for preventing motion of said arms in said sockets anda flexible apron supported by said arms.

9. In combination a childs chair having a seat, a pair of upwardly and divergently extending. arms attached to each side of the seat thereof and a flexible apron supported upon the outer endsof said arms.

10. In combination a childs chair, a rectangular flexible apron and upwardly and EDWARD G. THOMAS.

Witnesses ELIZABETH R. ODIORNE,

'MABnL O. THOMAS. 

